Mini excavator for pick-up trucks and other light vehicles

ABSTRACT

The present invention generally relates to compact excavators. In particular, embodiments of the present invention provide a compact excavator that can be easily mounted and removed from the bed or rear of a light vehicle, such as a pickup truck, for convenient portability and use while reducing the overall cost as the excavator of the present invention eliminates the need for drive train and mobility components (e.g., treads, steering).

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a continuation in part of, and claims the benefit to, U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/953,859 filed Mar. 16, 2014, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to compact excavators. In particular, embodiments of the present invention provide a compact excavator that can be easily mounted and removed from the bed or rear of a light vehicle, such as a pickup truck, for convenient portability and use while reducing the overall cost as the excavator of the present invention eliminates the need for drive train and mobility components (e.g., treads, steering).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Small general purpose excavators, capable of operating as a backhoe, excavator and/or lifting arm are common and find use in most forms of residential, commercial and industrial construction, development, maintenance and other applications. These general purpose excavators are most commonly tracked vehicles with an excavator arm and mechanical components (e.g., hydraulics, gas engine, steering, drive trains) required to operate both the mobility and excavating functions of the excavator.

In most cases, these general purpose excavators are towed to job sites, such as behind a commercial or light vehicle on a flatbed or on a box truck. Once at the job site, the mobility components of the general purpose excavators allow the excavator to get to areas where its functionalities are needed.

Frequently, however, the job sites these general purpose excavators are use at can be reached by regular wheeled vehicles (e.g., pickup trucks). In this manner, the mobility components of the general purpose excavators may be of limited need as regular light vehicles can get to the same areas as the general purpose excavators.

Further, one of the main costs associated with these general purpose excavators is the cost involved with building out the mobility systems (e.g., drive trains, treads, steering). As such, the price of a general purpose excavator is largely tied to its mobility systems. These costs go up in correlation with the size of the excavator as well, with larger excavators requiring more extensive and robust mobility systems to move them around.

Given that the job sites where these general purpose excavators are used can be reached by standard light vehicles, it would be desirable simply to have the light vehicle act as the mobility system for the excavator, eliminating the need for the expensive and unnecessary mobility systems of the excavator. This is not currently offered in the present art.

Therefore, there is a need in the art for an excavator and mounting system that is capable of being mounted to a standard light vehicle, such as a pickup truck, without requiring additional mobility components. It would also be preferable for such excavators to be easily removable from such standard light vehicles and not overly impede the ability of the vehicle to carry cargo or tow other items. This and other features and advantages of the present invention will be explained and will become obvious to one skilled in the art through the summary of the invention that follows.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, embodiments of the present invention are directed to an excavator and mounting system that is capable of being mounted to a standard light vehicle, such as a pickup truck, without requiring additional mobility components. Preferred embodiments of the present invention also provide for an excavator that is easily removable from such standard light vehicles and not overly impede the ability of the vehicle to carry cargo or tow other items.

According to embodiments of the present invention, a portable excavator for mounting to a light vehicle comprises: a low profile frame formed to fit in the bed of said light vehicle and comprising a plurality of interfaces; an excavator comprising an undercarriage, a boom, a control interface and a power system; said undercarriage is formed such that it can be secured to said low profile frame via a plurality of mounting means, wherein each mounting means engages with at least one of said interfaces of said plurality of interfaces of said low profile frame; and said control interface and said power system work in conjunction with one another to operate the boom of said excavator.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the power system comprises one or more hydraulic pumps and an internal combustion engine.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the control interface comprises one or more controllers configured to provide directional input to said boom.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the controllers are joysticks.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the interfaces are self-centering interfaces.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the mounting means are threaded bolts.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the excavator further comprises one or more support pylons removably securable to said low profile frame and configured to adjustably extend from the bed of said light vehicle to a surface below and provide additional stability to the excavator when said excavator is in operation.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the excavator further comprises one or more light vehicle frame locking bracket configured to secure said low-profile frame to said bed.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the low-profile frame is affixed to said bed of said light vehicle.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the boom comprises a tool arm configured to receive one or more tools selected from the group comprising a bucket, a grapple and a drill.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the excavator is configured to rotate 360 degrees in the bed of said light vehicle.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a portable excavator for mounting to a light vehicle, said portable excavator comprises: a low profile frame formed to fit in the bed of said light vehicle and comprising a plurality of interfaces; an excavator comprising an undercarriage formed such that it can be secured to said low profile frame via a plurality of mounting means, wherein each mounting means engages with at least one of said interfaces of said plurality of interfaces of said low profile frame.

The foregoing summary of the present invention with the preferred embodiments should not be construed to limit the scope of the invention. It should be understood and obvious to one skilled in the art that the embodiments of the invention thus described may be further modified without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a light vehicle for use with a portable excavator in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a light vehicle with a low profile frame mounted to its bed in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a light vehicle with a low profile frame mounted to its bed in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a portable excavator for mounting to a light vehicle in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a portable excavator for mounting to a light vehicle in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a portable excavator for mounting to a light vehicle in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a side view of a portable excavator for mounting to a light vehicle in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a portable excavator for mounting to a light vehicle in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is an exploded view of a portable excavator for mounting to a light vehicle in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED SPECIFICATION

Embodiments of the present disclosure are now described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a portable excavator is provided for that can be easily installed and removed from the bed of a light vehicle, such as a pickup truck. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the portable excavator includes a base (i.e., undercarriage) that is mounted on a frame by means of a series of plots (e.g., 4 plots) and secured to the frame by a corresponding number of mounting means, such as coarse thread bolts (e.g., 4 coarse thread bolts). In this preferred embodiment, the frame carrying the excavator base is affixed to the truck bed and is designed in with low profile in order to maintain cargo capabilities of the light vehicle. Further in this preferred embodiment, the frame is fastened to a chassis of the light vehicle and not as easily removed.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the frame of the portable excavator is configured to fit in the bed of a light vehicle in a low profile manner. In most cases, the frame is a lay flat design, configured to allow for the frame to be secured to the bed of the light vehicle such that cargo can still be placed on top of the frame and still be within the bed (e.g., below any sidewalls of the bed).

In certain embodiments, the frame may be configured to fit in beds of most standard light vehicles. For instance, the frame may fit in a standard compact pickup truck bed, having a frame width of no greater than 50 inches and length no greater than 78 inches, which is the size of a compact pickup truck bed. In other embodiments, the frame could be larger or smaller, depending on the vehicle the portable excavator is to be used with and also characteristics of the portable excavator itself (e.g., larger portable excavators could require larger frames). Further, in certain embodiments, the frame can be designed in a size and shape for use with a particular light vehicle, such as a frame that fits the bed of a specific make/model/year. One of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate that there are numerous frame sizes and shapes that could be utilized with embodiments of the present invention and embodiments of the present invention are contemplated for use with any appropriate frame size and shape.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the frame is secured to a light vehicle in a permanent or semi-permanent manner. Semi-permanent frame installations may be accomplished, for instance, via bolting, friction fitting, screwing or otherwise mounting the frame to the bed of a light vehicle in a manner that secures the frame to the bed while allowing for the possibility of removal at a later time. Permanent installations of the frame may be accomplished, for instance, via welding, riveting or through the use of epoxies or other strong adhesives. One of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate that there are numerous ways in which the frame could be permanently or semi-permanently secured to the bed of a light vehicle, and embodiments of the present invention are contemplated for use with any appropriate method for permanently or semi-permanently securing the frame to the bed of a light vehicle.

Once the frame of the portable excavator is secured to the bed of the light vehicle, the excavator portion of the portable excavator may be removably installed on the frame. In preferred embodiments of the present invention, the excavator portion of the portable excavator is removably secured to the frame. In this manner, the excavator portion can be installed and removed as needed, allowing the light vehicle to retain its usefulness with respect to its standard functionality.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the frame comprises one or more interfaces configured to allow for the excavator portion to be secured to the frame. In a preferred embodiment, the interfaces are self-centering interfaces and while any number of self-centering interfaces may be used, a preferred embodiment of the frame comprises 4 self-centering interfaces. One of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate that there are numerous types of interfaces that could be utilized with embodiments of the present invention, and embodiments of the present invention are contemplated for use with any number and type of interfaces.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, an undercarriage of the excavator portion of the portable excavator is secured to the frame through these interfaces via one or more mounting means. Mounting means may include, but are not limited to, bolts, pins (e.g., lynch pins, hitch pins), screws, lug nuts or any combination thereof. One of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate that there are numerous types of mounting means that could be utilized with embodiments of the present invention, and embodiments of the present invention are contemplated for use with any appropriate mounting means.

In preferred embodiments of the present invention, mounting and removal of the excavator portion from the frame can be done with simple tools (e.g., wrench) and completed in a manner of minutes. One of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate that certain embodiments could use quick release pins or other mounting devices, allowing for mounting and/or removal to be accomplished even quicker.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the excavator portion of the portable excavator is comprised of a power system, a boom, a control interface and an undercarriage. Preferred embodiments of the present invention may also include a seat or other cockpit for an operator to sit in during operation of the excavator.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the undercarriage, as noted above, is configured to receive the mounting means and secure the excavator portion of the portable excavator to the frame. The undercarriage further comprises a rotating portion which allows for the entire excavator portion to rotate as needed. Preferred embodiments of the present invention are capable of rotating a full 360 degrees. In this manner, the portable excavator can be mounted to the bed of a light vehicle and allowed to rotate into an operable position (e.g., boom facing off the back of the light vehicle) and a portability position (e.g., boom facing forward relative to the light vehicle in order to allow for the weight to be best distributed for driving purposes).

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the power system comprises one or more hydraulic pumps. These hydraulic pumps provide mobility to the boom, tools attached to the boom and the rotating portion of the undercarriage. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the power system may further be comprised of an internal combustion engine configured to provide power to the hydraulic pumps. In other embodiments, power may be provided to the hydraulic pumps via alternative power means, such as directly from the powertrain of the light vehicle, via battery packs, via electrical connections to residential or commercial electrical receptacles (e.g., 120v receptacles, 240v receptacles). One of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate that there are numerous types of power systems that could be utilized with embodiments of the present invention and embodiments of the present invention are contemplated for use with any appropriate power system.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the boom of the portable excavator is comprised of a stick/dipper arm and one or more tools. The stick is similar to that of a standard excavator in that it is generally an arm with integrated hydraulics providing the ability to move the arm along various axes and operate the tool at the end of the boom. Tools that can be used with the portable excavator include, but are not limited to, buckets, drills, grapples, hooks or any combination thereof. One of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate that there are any number and type of booms, sticks and tools that could be utilized with embodiments of the present invention, and embodiments of the present invention are contemplated for use with any appropriate type of boom, sticks and/or tools.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the portable excavator may be further enhanced through incorporating one or more support pylons to said low profile frame. In a preferred embodiment, these support pylons are removably securable to the low profile frame such that they may be adjustably extend from the bed of said light vehicle to a surface below, such as the ground or pavement. The purpose of the support pylons is to provide additional stability to the portable excavator when in operation. For instance, two support pylons may extend from the rear of the light vehicle and have support feet that rest on the surface below. The support pylons may be adjustable via one or more length adjustment means, such as through incorporation of multiple slots configured to receive one or more lynch pins or other locking means. Other adjustment means include, but are not limited to jacks, hydraulic actuators, linear actuators, crank assemblies, or any combination thereof. One of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate that there are numerous means for securing and adjusting the support pylons, and embodiments of the present invention are contemplated for use with any appropriate type of securing and adjusting means.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a light vehicle frame locking bracket can be used to assist with the mounting of the low-profile frame to the bed of a light vehicle. The light vehicle frame locking bracket may be, for instance, an arm extending between two or more points on the light vehicle is configured to be secured to structurally sound portions of the light vehicle, such as the frame of the light vehicle. One of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate that there are numerous types of light vehicle frame locking brackets that could be utilized with embodiments of the present invention, and embodiments of the present invention are contemplated for use with any appropriate light vehicle frame locking brackets.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, and similar to the light vehicle frame locking bracket, the low-profile frame may further utilize a rear frame support. The rear frame support is configured to secure a portion of the low-profile frame that is nearest to the rear end of the bed of the light vehicle to the light vehicle. Similar to the light vehicle frame locking bracket, the rear frame support is secured to structurally sound portions of the light vehicle and ensures the low-profile frame, when attached is secured to the bed of the light vehicle. One of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate that there are numerous types of rear frame supports that could be utilized with embodiments of the present invention and embodiments of the present invention are contemplated for use with any appropriate rear frame support.

Turning now to FIG. 1, a perspective view of a light vehicle for use with a portable excavator, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, is shown. In this view, the bed of a standard pickup truck is shown. While this view is of a standard pickup truck, one of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate that embodiments of the portable excavator of the present invention could be utilized with any light vehicle or other appropriate vehicle.

Turning now to FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a light vehicle with a low profile frame mounted to its bed, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, is shown. In this view, the light vehicle is equipped with a low-profile frame 11 mounted to the bed. Interfaces 12 of the low-profile frame 11 are oriented such that the low-profile frame 11 can receive the excavator portion of the invention thereupon and be retained on the low-profile frame 11 through use of one or more mounting means.

Turning now to FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a light vehicle with a low profile frame mounted to its bed, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, is shown. In this view, the light vehicle is equipped with a low-profile frame 11 mounted to the bed. Interfaces 12 of the low-profile frame 11 are oriented such that the low-profile frame 11 can receive the excavator portion of the invention thereupon and be retained on the low-profile frame 11 through use of one or more mounting means. Further, adjustable and removable support pylons 13 are shown, extending from the rear of the bed of the light vehicle and positioned in a downward direction to provide support to the excavator through contact with a surface below. As shown in the figure, the support pylons are adjustably attached to the low-profile frame 11 via lynch pins. While FIG. 3 shows the attachment of the support pylons 13 to the low-profile frame 11 via lynch pins, one of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate there are numerous connection means that could be utilized with embodiments of the present invention.

Turning now to FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a portable excavator for mounting to a light vehicle, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, is shown. In this view, the excavator portion is shown attached to the low-profile frame 11 at the undercarriage 14 of the excavator portion. The bulk of the power system 15 is located underneath a chair 19 of the excavator portion which is in convenient proximity to the control interface(s) 16. In front of the chair is the boom 17, which is shown with a tool attachment (i.e., bucket) 18.

Turning now to FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a portable excavator for mounting to a light vehicle, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, is shown. In this view, the excavator portion is shown attached to the low-profile frame 11 at the undercarriage 14 of the excavator portion. The bulk of the power system 15 is located underneath a chair 19 of the excavator portion which is in convenient proximity to the control interface(s) 16. In front of the chair is the boom 17, which is shown with a tool attachment (i.e., bucket) 18.

Turning now to FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a portable excavator for mounting to a light vehicle, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, is shown. In this view, the low-profile frame is not shown in order to highlight both the light vehicle locking bracket 20 and rear frame support 21. These components are generally mounted to the bed of the light vehicle to secure the frame to the light vehicle and provide additional structural support for the light vehicle.

Turning now to FIGS. 7-8 is a side view of a portable excavator for mounting to a light vehicle, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, is shown. In this view, various positions of rotation of the excavator portion are shown. It is highlighted here that the excavator portion can be rotated without restriction in 360 degrees for operation in any direction and to allow for convenient portability when mounted to the light vehicle.

Turning now to FIG. 9, an exploded view of the underside of a light vehicle is shown. Rear frame support 20 and frame locking bracket 21 are shown attached to the light vehicle in order to secure the low-profile frame 11 to the light vehicle.

While multiple embodiments are disclosed, still other embodiments of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description. The invention is capable of myriad modifications in various obvious aspects, all without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Accordingly, the drawings and descriptions are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not restrictive. 

1. A portable excavator for mounting to a light vehicle, said portable excavator comprising: a low profile frame formed to fit in the bed of said light vehicle and comprising a plurality of interfaces; an excavator comprising an undercarriage, a boom, a control interface and a power system; said undercarriage is formed such that it can be secured to said low profile frame via a plurality of mounting means, wherein each mounting means engages with at least one of said interfaces of said plurality of interfaces of said low profile frame; and said control interface and said power system work in conjunction with one another to operate the boom of said excavator.
 2. The portable excavator of claim 1, wherein said power system comprises one or more hydraulic pumps and an internal combustion engine.
 3. The portable excavator of claim 1, wherein said control interface comprises one or more controllers configured to provide directional input to said boom.
 4. The portable excavator of claim 3, wherein said controllers are joysticks.
 5. The portable excavator of claim 1, wherein said interfaces are self-centering interfaces.
 6. The portable excavator of claim 1, wherein said mounting means are threaded bolts.
 7. The portable excavator of claim 1, further comprising one or more support pylons removably securable to said low profile frame and configured to adjustably extend from the bed of said light vehicle to a surface below and provide additional stability to the excavator when said excavator is in operation.
 8. The portable excavator of claim 1, further comprising one or more light vehicle frame locking bracket configured to secure said low-profile frame to said bed.
 9. The portable excavator of claim 1, wherein said low-profile frame is affixed to said bed of said light vehicle.
 10. The portable excavator of claim 1, wherein said boom comprises a tool arm configured to receive one or more tools selected from the group comprising a bucket, a grapple and a drill.
 11. The portable excavator of claim 1, wherein said excavator is configured to rotate 360 degrees in the bed of said light vehicle.
 12. A portable excavator for mounting to a light vehicle, said portable excavator comprising: a low profile frame formed to fit in the bed of said light vehicle and comprising a plurality of interfaces; an excavator comprising an undercarriage formed such that it can be secured to said low profile frame via a plurality of mounting means, wherein each mounting means engages with at least one of said interfaces of said plurality of interfaces of said low profile frame.
 13. The portable excavator of claim 12, wherein said interfaces are self-centering interfaces.
 14. The portable excavator of claim 12, wherein said mounting means are threaded bolts.
 15. The portable excavator of claim 12, further comprising one or more support pylons removably securable to said low profile frame and configured to adjustably extend from the bed of said light vehicle to a surface below and provide additional stability to the excavator when said excavator is in operation.
 16. The portable excavator of claim 12, further comprising one or more light vehicle frame locking bracket configured to secure said low-profile frame to said bed.
 17. The portable excavator of claim 12, wherein said low-profile frame is affixed to said bed of said light vehicle.
 18. The portable excavator of claim 1, wherein said excavator comprises a tool arm configured to receive one or more tools selected from the group comprising a bucket, a grapple and a drill.
 19. The portable excavator of claim 1, wherein said excavator is configured to rotate 360 degrees in the bed of said light vehicle. 